Human Rights Council – 49th session
28 March 2022
Joint Statement
Madame President, it is Canada’s honour to deliver this statement, jointly presented with Australia and New Zealand:
In all countries, racism persists as an affront to human dignity and an obstacle to the enjoyment of human rights, blocking our path to an inclusive world. The global pandemic has exacerbated disparities, emboldened extremists and fueled racism. Yet worldwide, inspired by grassroots movements for human rights, many are redoubling efforts to eliminate racism.
Each country must begin this work at home. Australia, Canada, and New Zealand began as settler colonies on Indigenous territories. False doctrines of racial superiority shaped past relations and policies. Today, the path of truth and reconciliation requires an uprooting of such prejudices. Today, our three countries are proud to be multicultural societies, yet we recognize that more work needs to be done to eliminate the many forms of racial discrimination which persist in our societies.
And so we restate our commitment to implement the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, including the adoption of national action plans. We encourage others to do the same. We commit to summon the necessary courage to face difficult truths and the determination to take action to build a more inclusive world, free from racism.